If there was a goddamn god who gave me such trials, I wanted to run to him right now and grab him by the collar.

‘Crazy. The original work didn’t say the monsters looked like this!’

Indeed, the situation was messed up, just as he said.

Sure, the original work mentioned monsters, but as I’ve said before, the main content of the work was not about defeating monsters but a devastating romance.

‘So, there’s no way I would know what the monsters look like!’

The monster made a baby’s scream sound as it stretched its black body.

Chills ran down my spine as it opened its mouth wide and rapidly approached us.

I hastily slapped Count Alcas’s cheek.

No matter how much of a munchkin the male lead was, it was not reasonable to think he could handle such a thing alone.

“Uh… what is this.”

The Count opened his eyes while holding his cheek.

He opened his eyes wide, and his mouth gaped at the sight before him. And as if he was scared, he began to stutter and almost stumbled backward.

“Why are you running away? Grab the sword!”

I grabbed his collar and pulled him forward, personally putting the sword in his hand.

“Uh, Ahhhhh!”

Regardless of whether the Count screamed or not, I quickly moved behind the male lead.

The monster, with its tar-like sticky arms raised, tried to engulf the male lead.

The male lead also seemed unnervingly tense.

Was the monster originally that big? That’s ridiculous.

“Your Highness!”

The prince’s sword clashed with the demon’s arms.

Swoosh!

A puff of smoke rose from the demon’s wound where the white blade had struck.

“Damn, there shouldn’t be a creature this big!”

The protagonist said, hiding me behind his back as if troubled. It didn’t seem like a normal situation.

“Oh, no.”

The third prince, seemingly overwhelmed by fear due to the oppressive aura, barely held onto his sword as his legs trembled.

Count Alcas turned pale and stepped back from the approaching monster, puffing up his body.

The male lead scanned Count Alcas up and down with an annoyed look.

“What kind of nonsense is this?”

Then, he grabbed the count by the nape and brought him close to the monster’s wriggling tentacles, asking quite kindly.

“If you don’t explain what’s going on, I’ll personally offer you as a sacrifice to Moricias.”

As if the monster understood the protagonist’s words, it opened its sticky mouth wide.

Count Alcas, turning pale, trembled and spoke.

“Please, spare my life, Your Highness the Crown Prince! I have nothing to do with the monster! Just-“

“Just? Wasn’t it your men who brought the goblin horde to the front of my hideout?”

Immediately, black tentacles poured out of the demon’s mouth, and the count spoke to the protagonist as if screaming.

“The second prince! I saw the second prince coming with the horn of a bull!”

The male lead smirked at his words and swung his sword.

Then, a sword strike like a blast of air flew from the protagonist’s white blade, slicing through the demon’s tentacles.

I covered my mouth and looked at the protagonist. He wasn’t called a world’s powerhouse for nothing.

‘A sword strike!’

T/n: The phrase used here is to express surprise or disbelief at a powerful sword strike or attack.

I thought this only happened in comics and cartoons but seeing it in real life felt strange.

“This is not getting any better.”

The male lead flung the count he was holding to the ground and then immediately grabbed my wrist.

The monster swelled in size and once again pulled out tar-like tentacles from its body.

“Grrrrrrr-!”

A bizarre, cavernous low voice filled the entire mountain as it echoed.

Then, the male lead, holding my wrist, said irritably.

“What are you staring blankly for? Run!”

And I ran like crazy.

“The sun hasn’t completely set yet, so they shouldn’t be able to cause much trouble.”

“Your Highness, one of the hiding places is in the opposite direction…”

The male lead glanced back as if troubled by my words and spoke.

“The other side is probably swarming with creatures because of the smell of their blood, so it’s better to go this way.”

The male lead led me into the bushes.

Beyond the bushes that grew up to our waists, there were huge trees that seemed to be over 10 meters tall.

“Screech!”

A miniature of the giant tar-like monster we had just seen fell from above, and the male lead nonchalantly cut it down with his sword.

The bright blade of the male lead’s sword slightly lost its light.

He looked at the monster, which had died and turned into a sticky liquid, and laughed self-mockingly.

“Damn it.”

The grip of the male lead holding my wrist tightened. There was no doubt that the situation was turning bad.

He leaned against the tree, gasping for breath with his eyes tightly closed.

“Damn Gerald Posman, damn it!”

I just swallowed my saliva next to him.

I wasn’t entirely sure of the situation, but it seemed like something that had arisen from a power struggle among the princes.

“Your Highness, finding another hiding place before the sun completely sets should be a priority.”

I spoke calmly to the agitated male lead.

Then, the male lead opened his eyes wide, glaring at me with bloodshot eyes, and said,

“A hiding place? Where could there possibly be a hiding place in this damned place?”

The male lead’s throat swelled significantly.

“Not only did the youngest prince drag the half-breeds in, but the second prince also performed a ritual to awaken the cursed god. Where could there be a hiding place?”

I swallowed my breath for a moment.

Awakened what?

“What are you looking so dumbfounded for?”

“Did you just mention a god?”

The prince looked around before grabbing me and whispering in my ear.

“The bull’s horn is a symbol of the god of darkness, Moricias. They performed a ritual with that horn somewhere, so that’s why the monsters are more rampant than usual.”

So, to summarize, the third prince brought the half-breeds to kill the male lead.

By secretly placing a female goblin’s scent pouch near the male lead’s hiding place.

And the second prince performed a ritual to awaken the god, which is undoubtedly the cause of the monster’s appearance.

‘So that’s why all this chaos is happening.’

The male lead sniffed around at his shoulder and muttered,

“Damn, if this continues, even the half-breeds will join in.”

Why would you take off all your clothes?

I reflexively turned my gaze away in haste. No, what is this guy doing right now in front of a girl!

“What’s the matter? Is there a monster over there?”

The male lead abruptly grabbed my arm and spoke, and I had no choice but to look at him.

True to his form, his dazzlingly well-built physique was revealed.

His face was so disgustingly handsome that I felt my face turning red involuntarily.

“For now, this place with cover is the safest, so don’t even think about getting away from me.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

He still held my wrist as we made our way through the trees.

However, as time passed, the sun that had been faintly shining above us set, and the frequency of the monsters’ appearances also increased.

“Is everyone really out to kill me?”

The male lead said, looking up at the sky.

“It will be tomorrow afternoon before the temple realizes something went wrong.”

He took a deep breath calmly. And still, with a self-deprecating smile, he said to me,

“You should have sided with the First Prince.”

I frowned at his words.

What is he talking about all of a sudden?

“Because they’re all so desperate to kill me.”

I tightly held the luggage bag I was carrying and looked at him.

He was only 23 years old, barely a young adult.

He wasn’t crazy yet, but according to the setting, he had to go crazy gradually amidst the constant fights with his brothers.

And in that hell, there was no one who was truly on Calix Posman’s side.

That must be why the male lead is so obsessed with the female lead. Because she was the first person to show him something akin to affection.

“So, you’ve dug your own grave.”

I couldn’t understand why the male lead was saying this to me at this time.

But I felt shitty.

Because an unconvincing sympathy had arisen. After all, he’s just a character in a book.

So, I don’t need to sympathize with the male lead’s unfortunate past, and I just have to hold on until the female lead appears and then I can run away.

“Your Highness, do you really think so?”

I could just run away.

“I’m not dead yet.”

I stood upright and looked straight into the male lead’s red eyes.

The male lead’s expression contorted strangely. I felt the same.

“I have no regrets about my choice, Your Highness.”

This damn meddling. I’m just as likely to die at any moment.

This person, despite being isolated from the pack, is desperately struggling to survive like a young wolf.

He looked a bit pitiful.